Billionaire Auction by Brynn Paulin

Chapter Ten

Moriah wanted to enjoy this day, but first, she wanted to know what had happened between Kendrick and her father. With the questions ricocheting around her head, she knew she’d be distracted and not enjoy the picnic as much as she should—and she wanted every bit of enjoyment she could with Kendrick. She’d wanted him for so long and would only have him for just a blip of time.

She couldn’t believe her father. She couldn’t believe what he’d said or that he’d shown up at the restaurant, acting as if everything was just peachy.

“What happened with my dad?” she asked.

“You don’t want to talk about that,” Kendrick said, squeezing her hand.

“No, I really do. I want to get it out of the way so we can enjoy the rest of our day.” Or at least so they could try. Tension vibrated off Kendrick. Whatever Jofre had said, it wasn’t pleasant.

Kendrick sighed then jerked a nod.

“Frank,” he said into the headset. “Can you change our channel back here, so we can have a private conversation?”

“Sure thing, Boss.”

Kendrick didn’t speak until a faint change in the air sound signaled the change of frequency. “When I told him I was pressing charges, he said he’d already replaced the money he’d stolen.”

“How?” she exclaimed. Her father didn’t have that sort of cash. God knew what he’d done with what he’d taken from Kendrick’s company.

“He claimed it was from your bank account, that you gave him power of attorney and, thereby, access to the funds.”

“I did not! No. I never have! I don’t trust him that much—not since what he did to my mother. He was…despicable. Besides, until yesterday, I had nothing for him to manage. There would have been no reason to give him that sort of access.”

Kendrick nodded again and pulled out his phone, already texting while he spoke. “So he’s bluffing.”

“He has to be.” Gnawing anger hollowed her belly, and she thought she might be sick. If he’d stolen from her…

And it would be theft. She’d already decided she wasn’t giving him the money, not a penny. He could rot in jail. Somehow, she’d figure out a way to get Jade, to save her. With the money from Kendrick she could.

“Is it possible to check my account?” she asked. “To block him. He can’t do this…” Tears burned in her eyes.

“Moriah,” he murmured. He slid the phone into his suit pocket and reached for her hand. His thumb smoothed back and forth over the top of her fingers. “It’s okay. I’ll make sure of it.”

“It’s not. It’s not! He can’t do this. He can’t… What he did…that’s trafficking, right? Taking my money like he’s some sort of pimp?”

“You agreed.”

“That doesn’t make it legal. It’s still a form of sex trade and illegal in most places.”

“That’s probably why he did it on a private island. If you hate him so much and don’t trust him, why did you agree?”

There was no reason to keep it a secret. Kendrick seemed to know most everything about her.

“He coerced me and gave me no other choice. My sister—”

“Your sister?” he interrupted. “How did I not know you have a sister? I’ve made it my business to know just about everything about him.”

“She’s six. She’s been shielded more than I ever was. He doesn’t have wealth rivaling yours, but he has enough that there were vague threats against me from the time I was born. Kidnapping and such. I guess it worried him enough that after Jade was born, he’s basically kept her hidden. Not that I think he really loves her, but I don’t know what his end game is.”

A muscle ticked in Kendrick’s cheek though the rest of his expression remained impassive. “And?” he asked.

“And if I didn’t do what he wanted, he threatened to send my sister away to live with her drug-addicted birth mom. That woman hates Jade and only had her because my dad paid her not to terminate the pregnancy. She signed away her rights the day Jade was born. For a while, I thought he loved the baby. Now, I think she was just another pawn. When he pressured me into agreeing to sell my virginity, I was scared for her. I am scared for her. I can’t even comprehend what he might do. The only reason I said I’d go through with the auction was to protect her. Once I had the money, once the weekend was over, I planned to find a way to take her away. Somewhere. Anywhere away from him.” Moriah knew that smacked of abduction, but she’d do anything to make sure Jade was safe, even sell herself.

Kendrick had started texting again while she spoke.

“What are you doing?” she asked, unable to hold back her annoyance.

“Taking care of business.”

“What?” she exclaimed. She’d poured out her heart, and he was doing business?

“Our business,” he clarified. “I’m dealing with the finances—yours and mine—and setting up an appointment with the cops. Probably tomorrow afternoon. I’m also having my assistant arrange a meeting with my friend, Senator McKenzie. She’ll help to make sure Jof goes down, though she’ll be discreet and keep it out of the public eye. She can also smooth the way for custody of your sister. Parental rights were signed over and he’s going to prison. You’re her closest relative and willing to take her, so Jade should be placed in your provisional care.”

“Oh…” She hadn’t imagined he could do that. “You can do that?”

“Another hefty campaign donation will ease the way, but yes, I can.”

“Is that legal?”

“More legal than anything your father has done lately.”

The phone lit up in his hand, and he glanced down at it then grinned. “Good,” he enthused. “The money is still in your account, and we’ve gotten the assets frozen for the time being.”

“How long?” His deposit aside, she’d need her savings to live come Monday. “And how did you get access to my account?”

He raised a brow at her as if to ask if that were really a question. “Moriah, you’re my business, which makes everything about you my business, too. Before I even set foot at that auction, I had my people obtain any info I thought I’d need. And one of my colleagues has some, let’s say, resources at his disposal.”

“Resources? Do you mean hackers?”

“I’m fairly sure Chase—that’s my friend—prefers not to call them that. But…” He tipped his head from one side and then to the other. “Probably. I don’t ask. I just make sure my own assets are well protected. The final peg in that gate is Berg Trade Financial.”

She nodded, listening. Berg Trade was the branch Jofre worked for as a VP, but she knew little about all of Kendrick’s businesses.

“Bergana Holdings, the umbrella company—my company—owns a plethora of businesses. Berg Trade is the only portion ruled by a board of directors. That was my father’s failing and why I’ve never allowed anyone to dictate how I run my companies. I’m not happy with the structure at Berg Trade, but I’m unwilling to let it go. It was my work that made it into the powerhouse financial institution it is today. When I inherited my dad’s shares, I started the undertaking of wresting back full power, so I don’t have to answer to a fucking board of directors. Though I’m pissed as hell at Jofre for stealing from me, he’s given me exactly what I need to take them down and get back my company.”

“So then you can do anything you want?”

“Well,” he laughed, “no. There are still plenty of checks and balances in place to be sure everything stays lawful and nobody’s getting swindled. Even multi-billionaires endure plenty of governmental oversights and audits for their businesses. Things can be concealed, but frankly, I don’t have that kind of time.”

She stared at him, unsure what to say. Kendrick was so much more than she’d imagined. She’d known he was rich, but not that he own multiple businesses. “So…what my father stole from you was basically pennies?”

“Yes. But a small leak only gets bigger—and nobody steals from me and gets away with it.”

She swallowed, feeling forewarned even though thievery wasn’t in her personality. “And what you bid on me? Also pennies.”

He glanced up at Frank, as if to ensure he wasn’t listening, then looked back at her. “I would have bid everything for you.”

Her lips parted, breathing suddenly hard.

He pulled her hand toward him and turned it palm up. His finger traced along her sensitive skin. M. I. N. E, he wrote. Then he closed her fingers around it and looked up at her, his gaze tender before his mouth twisted into a playful smirk. She squirmed, the resulting heat from his gaze reminding her she wasn’t wearing panties and was completely bare for him.

“I’ll remind you how much in a few minutes,” he promised.

“We’re almost there?” she asked, looking out the window. She’d been so engrossed with speaking with him, she hadn’t been paying attention.

“Almost,” he confirmed.

Peering about, she saw they’d left the city far behind and were closing in on a large estate, the only structure she saw for miles.

“Yours?” she asked.

“From my grandparents. We won’t be going in. It’s been locked up for over twenty-five years and needs massive structural work. I want to tear it down, but the local historical society is blocking me.”

“It does look like pretty old architecture,” she said as the copter got closer to the ground. “So…why are we here if we’re not going in?”

“I keep the grounds maintained, and they’re private. If you look this way,” he directed her gaze out his window, “you’ll see the gazebo and a guesthouse. I thought we could picnic there beside the stream.”

Sure enough, she saw the small bungalow-style house, and about a hundred feet from it, across a stretch of manicured lawn, was a white, octagonal shelter beside a flow of rushing water.

“It’s beautiful,” she said.

“I come here to think sometimes. To get away from all the noise,” he told her as the helicopter set down gently. As if on cue, the engines cut, plunging them into near silence—at least much closer to it. Kendrick helped her out of her headphones and belt then guided her out and grabbed their picnic basket. He glanced at his watch before turning to Frank, who’d jumped down beside them. “Come back in three hours.”

“With all due respect, sir, I’d rather not,” he replied. “I need to do a sweep of the grounds then I’ll give you complete privacy.”

She looked at Kendrick for his reaction. She understood the need for security, especially for someone in his position. God knew she’d dealt with having a detail watch her most of her life, and her father had far lesser wealth. However, she was curious how Kendrick would take the opposition to his dictate.

He merely nodded. “Very well,” he replied. “You’re correct. We can’t take chances with Moriah’s safety.”

“Or yours,” she exclaimed.

“I would be fine.” He shook his head as if that weren’t a worry while Frank appeared faintly amused. “We’ll be at the gazebo,” he told his guard. His hand planted at the small of Moriah’s back as he guided her away. “We’ll head to the guesthouse after we eat.”

“Very well, sir,” Frank replied. “I’ll make sure it’s secure then leave you to your privacy.”

But Moriah got the feeling he wouldn’t be very far from them, even when out of sight. The thought was fleeting, though. Her awareness was centered on the tingles emanating from the light touch of Kendrick’s fingers just above her ass. Excitement fluttered through her, stronger today, now that she knew what it was to belong to him, how it would feel for him to shift his palm scant inches lower to cup her behind.

His lips brushed her ear as they walked. “How are you feeling today? Sore?”

Maybe a little but if that would stop him from touching her… “Not really,” she hedged.

“Good,” he whispered, despite there being no one around to hear. Shivers skated down her spine at his dark, sensual tone. “After I feed you, I want to be deep inside you again. Maybe, you’d like to ride me today.”

She swallowed and nervously ran her tongue over her lips. “Maybe,” she echoed, the sound barely more than a breathy gasp. “I’m not sure…how…”

“Trust me, I’ll guide you. Every step of the way.”

“Okay. Yes, I’d like that. I think—no, I know—I’d like to suck your cock again,” she admitted, heat rushing to her cheeks at her declaration.

“So shy yet so bold. Such an intriguing mix, kitten.”

“I just want as much of you as possible this weekend.”

He tensed beside her at the reminder of their circumstance. “You can have as much of me as you want, whenever you want,” he replied. “I certainly intend to take as much of you as I want. And trust me, that desire is boundless.”

His hand skimmed down to finally cup her ass. “No more mention of that fucking auction or time limits,” he growled. “It’s just you and me and this moment and getting all the pleasure we can.”

“But—”

“Are you asking for a spanking, Moriah?” he asked, interrupting her protest when she would have confessed she couldn’t get the expiration date off her mind.

“Um…” Was she? Several times, he’d threatened to put her over his knee, but so far, had never delivered. Maybe, she hadn’t pushed him enough. Maybe, it was just words, idle threats…sex talk.

Rather than answer, she shrugged.

“Oh, little girl, you have no idea who you’re provoking.”